This event will be perfect for both novices and fringe veterans to end this year’s Fringe Festival with flair, originality and innovation. Whether this really is a zoo or a sanctuary, you’ll only find out by being there. Expect the unexpected!

Dance4 presents improvisationZoo Roxy (Sanctuary Space), Edinburgh Fringe Festival at 2pm Tickets: £5 via 0131 662 6812
The “always exciting” (ballet.co.uk) award winning Rachel Krische leads the improvisation conversation which also features “rising Scottish star” (The Skinny) Janis Claxton, Christine Devaney who was winner of “The 2009 Scotsman Edinburgh Fringe First”, Louise Tanoto of the “edgy” (The Guardian) Tom Dale Company and Filip van Huffel, Matthew Slater and Steven Martin with all three of “athletic” (ballet.co.uk) Retina Dance Company. Such artists collaborating in a one-off experiment of movement is an opportunity that doesn’t come around very often and will be ideal for both the newcomer and dance connoisseur.

The event will also encompass the enthralling live sounds of the “magnetic” (The Scotsman) Luke Sutherland, of Lon Fin Killie, Bows and Mogwai fame, and Jer Reid who both are well known for their exciting collaborations with dance artists, so the performance will be a treat for both the eyes and ears.
In the ethos of presenting extraordinary 21st century dance we celebrate, with this event, the work of the festival’s leading dance venues; the award winning Zoo (this year running 3 venues including the Roxy) and artists of Catalyst Dance Management (from Dance Base, Scotland’s National Centre for Dance).

Dance4 presents improvisation: the perfect opportunity to witness incredible artists from across the Fringe programme and beyond collaborating in a unique event for the festival.

Friday, 16 July 2010

Friday, 9 July 2010

Tuesday, 6 July 2010

Today I went out to get a bunch of Stamping Ground t-shirts printed [Stamping Ground's summer starts this Saturday!]. So, I bought a bunch of blank vests and tees and hauled them over to get printed on.

Amid the t-shirt talk, I was reminded about a crazy cool t-shirt printing company me and a few friends started while we were in school. It was terrible and hilarious and filled with scissors and virtual trips to cheap wholesalers on the internet. It also marked the initial foray into customer/consumer interaction and consultation [obviously aside from my extremely important stint as a Saturday girl at a local cafe].

Going along the subject of the value and quality of creative and cultural products, that I touched upon yesterday following a session in college, it's important that what you present holds true integrity. As consumers [intellectual or physical], we have the right to fully scrutinise what we are investing in. And we should. The shame comes when people don't realise they have that right, or worse, when they choose to ignore it. You only live once, so you may as well strive to experience, seek out and appreciate quality.

You know, it's these cultural products and services that give dramatic value to society. Able to present ideas, interpretations and views of reality and the world around us, they challenge the stable and static views of humanity and interject a sense of wonder and fluidity, change and movement. They provide an abstract education that may not be achieved elsewhere and can garner a sense of community that perhaps transcends physical boundaries.

If only we had known how to properly construct our product and actually learn how to screen print. It would vastly reduce the amount of huge messed up t-shirts that occupy the bottom of my wardrobe.

NB: Pretty Rough are a design collective from Glasgow. If you want to know how screen printing works, then check out their nifty short film above.

And one more thing! For information on Stamping Ground visit www.dance4.co.uk/stampingground10.php. If you want to seek some quality work presented by the next generation, then get yourselves over. It should be fantastic! Dates include Eastwood Vibe, Riverside Festival and more... Click.

A Nottingham-er born and [possibly] bred, Jon Burgerman is an illustrator whose clients include Sony, Science Museum, and he has recently released an iPhone application with ustwo called Inkstrumental. My tutor wasn't aware that he was from Nottingham, and was pleasantly surprised that he had picked someone from our backyard.

Wednesday, 30 June 2010

Tuesday, 29 June 2010

"The Creators Project is a new network dedicated to the celebration of creativity and culture across media, and around the world."

For those of you who liked the short film PIXELS by Patrick Jean that I posted earlier this month, you might be interested in venturing down to The London Creators Project Party next month. The event will feature a whole host of innovative short films, all presented alongside a myriad of other creative beasts.

"The Creators Project is coming to London and bringing with it a celebratory assemblage of musicians, artists, designers, panelists and filmmakers. The festivities kick off 17 July and will feature live performances from Mark Ronson, Filthy Dukes, Kele Okereke, Trevor Jackson, Yuck and Hudson Mohawke among many others. Attendees will also get to experience exhibitions, film screenings, and multimedia installations including work from Spike Jonze, The Animal Collective, United Visual Artists."

Wednesday, 2 June 2010

My friend Anthony is studying there, and I've not seen him perform since waaay back in the day. Ahh, the Performing Arts block...

"Chickenshed is a theatre company. We work using an inclusive creative process which means everyone is welcome, and everyone is valued. Not many places are for everyone and anyone - so a lot of people who find themselves unwelcome elsewhere in the world, come to us. Chickenshed runs Children's and Youth Theatre workshops for 600 people, education courses for over 100 students, community outreach projects and a network of satellite 'Sheds' across the country (and two in Russia) so even more can benefit. Every extraordinary piece of theatre created at Chickenshed shouts out the same thing: anyone can thrive in an environment where everyone is welcome. "